Watch: A Congresswoman Who Voted Against the GMO Labeling Bill
Today, members of our House of Representatives were part of a historic vote that took away Americans right to know what is in the food we feed our families, and in a short two minute video below, a brave Congresswoman explains why she voted against it.
This afternoon, H.R. 1599, the Pompeo legislation regarding GMO labeling passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 275-150. Republicans and Democrats voted against our right to know what’s in our food, and some Republicans and Democrats voted for our right to know. The roll call vote can be found here.
The bill preempts state GMO labeling laws, like the ones that have been introduced in 30 states. It allows natural claims on foods containing GMOs which are a patented invention by the biotech industry, and it blocks state efforts to protect consumers from misleading natural claims. In other words, it takes away our ability to fight back.
Not only is it inconsistent with the organic regulations in a number of ways – it defines “genetically engineered plant” differently than the organic regulations do; it relates only to plants, not products, which differs from the organic regulations, it is a fundamental human right that has been granted to citizens that 60% of the world’s population, all of our key trading partners.
This piece of legislation also allows animals to be fed GMO feed, and their slaughter by-products to be labeled non-GMO. If you fed a baby GMOs, would you label that baby as non-GMO? Probably not. On top of that, it includes exceptions that would allow the use of GMO processing aids, enzymes, microorganisms, nutrients, and items approved on the National List in products that would be labeled non-GMO.
Many groups, organizations, leaders, businesses and individuals oppose this bill that was just approved by House this afternoon. Absent a federal mandated GMO labeling scheme, many Americans strongly believe that states should retain the right to require GMO labels on genetically-modified foods.
This issue now moves to the Senate. Currently, no companion bill has been introduced in the Senate, although Senator Hoeven (R-ND) has been working on a similar bill.
Bonnie Watson Coleman, a long-time and influential advocate for the people of New Jersey, is currently serving her first term in the United States Congress. Prior to her election as Representative for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, Watson Coleman served eight consecutive terms in the New Jersey General Assembly.
Representative Coleman gives a great talk to constituents about her views on H.R. 1599 which some have dubbed the DARK Act (Denying Americans Right to Know) owing to the fact that it is designed to suppress GMO labeling efforts across the country.
And while Bonnie was willing to take this stand, too few of our elected leaders did. Don’t you wish that they had to wear the logos of their sponsors the way that Nascar drivers do?
We need members of Congress to represent the people that elected them, not just the companies that are funding them. If they don’t, it’s time for them to exit.
While Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman was in the minority in the House which has now passed H.R. 1599, we have this list of those that voted for it, the people that voted against the will of the country. The roll call vote can be found here. Please share this list. Please reach out to your local rep and let them know that you believe in the basic freedoms that our country was founded upon: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Those pursuits are futile if we remain as sick as we have become.
The fight to protect our food rights now moves to the Senate.
Watch the video below and the use the lookup tool below to contact your Senators to share your view.